PROVENCE A-Z

Mayle’s new book is a must for anyone traveling to France and a dream for the armchair traveler. In a wry, intimate British baritone spiced with impeccable French, John Lee guides the listener through the Provençal chronicler’s alphabetically arranged tour of this magical place. Mayle covers an eclectic map of Provence, moving from the topics of accents, Cézanne, chèvre (and the sex lives of goats) to ratatouille, lavender, hunting for truffles, the Mistral, tourists, and Zola. Lee is enthusiastic and enlightening in his descriptions of places, people, and Provençal idiosyncrasies, and his description of the food is almost salivating. Indeed, the entire alphabet package is so irresistible it will lead you to start packing your bag right now. M.T.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 07]